| American Mediterranean Sea | |
|---|---|
 Composite June 2008satellite image of the American Mediterranean Sea | |
  American Mediterranean Sea | |
| Location | TheAmericas |
| Coordinates | 18°N80°W / 18°N 80°W /18; -80 |
| Type | Sea |
| Basin countries | List
|
| Surface area | 4,200,000 km2 (1,600,000 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 2,216 m (7,270 ft) |
| Max. depth | 7,686 m (25,217 ft) |
| Islands | 1100+ |
| Settlements | |
TheAmerican Mediterranean Sea is a scientific name for themediterranean dilution basin that includes theCaribbean Sea and theGulf of Mexico.[1]: 15, 35, 637–643 [2] The name, which has been employed particularly by German oceanographers, is not recognized by theUSGS, theInternational Hydrographic Organization or other international hydrological bodies.[citation needed]
The American Mediterranean has a surface area of 4.319 million km2 and an average depth of 2,216 metres (7,270 ft).[1]
Itsbasins include theMexico Basin, theCayman Trough, theYucatan Basin, theColumbian Basin, theVenezuelan basin and theGrenada basin.[3][1][4]
The American Mediterranean is considered one of theoceanicmarginal seas. In addition to numerous small islands, large and small groups of islands, and islets, it includes the large islands ofCuba, bordering the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean; ofJamaica,Hispaniola, and ofPuerto Rico. All of these islands are among the West Indian islands that separate the American Mediterranean from theAtlantic Ocean.
Between the islands, the American Mediterranean Sea contains the following straits: theFlorida Straits, theWindward Passage (Paso de los Vientos), theMona Passage (Canal de la Mona), theAnegada Passage toGuadeloupe Passage, and theDominica Passage toMartinique Passage. Within the Mediterranean, theStraits of Yucatán connect theGulf of Mexico with the Caribbean, and since the inauguration of thePanama Canal in August 1914, it has been connected to the Pacific.
The American Mediterranean Sea drains approximately 6,200,000 km2 (2,400,000 sq mi) inNorth America andCaribbean South America; it isthe 2nd largest sea watershed. The watershed depends on South American water bodies such as theMagdalena River with 257,440 km2 (99,397 sq mi), as well as theGuajira Peninsula and theGulf of Venezuela. Central American drainages include those of/to theBelize River,Gulf of Honduras,Caratasca Lagoon,Nicaraguan Caribbean Lowlands, and theColorado River in Costa Rica. In North America, the sea mostly drains theMississippi River basin of 3,202,230 km2 (1,236,388 sq mi), to the east of theContinental Divide of the Americas, while it drains approximately 610,000 km2 (235,000 sq mi) from theRio Grande and 198,000 km2 (76,300 sq mi) from theYucatan Peninsula.[5]
